Only a fool couldn't see through us
by jannikajade
Summary: A series of insights into Sheldon, Emily, Sam, Kendra, Ralph, Max, Edwin, Lizzie and the rest of the characters, eventually Derek and Casey how they see themselves and how they see Dasey. Shemily, Dasey, Lizwin, various other ships.
1. Sheldon and Emily: fear and knowledge

**Author's Note: **I've wanted to do this for a while actually. This is the first set in a multi-chapter series. Just little insights into everyone on the show, two at time- saving Derek and Casey for last. Dasey implied through out, and various other ships- including, and starting with Shemily.

Sheldon and Em in the first part, Kendra and Sam to come and so on.

**Warnings:** None for this part- although I'm rating it all teen, because I'm sure at some point I'll need it.

**Disclaimer:** Well, I didn't get the rights to LwD as a gift last Christmas, but its rolling around again- so maybe this year.

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**Sheldon**

Sometimes Sheldon wishes he could be Derek Venturi. Well, maybe not Derek specifically, because then he'd be in with love his step-sister, and that's not a problem Sheldon wants to take on, but he does wish he could be what Derek represents. Derek is 'that guy'- that ultra cool guy, that guy that makes all the girls swoon, that guy that can just strut down the hall, that guy that is never with out plans on a Friday. Sheldon would like to be 'that guy', not all the time, maybe just for a day. Just for a day he'd like to not say the wrong things. Just for day he'd like to be able to charm his way out of anything, or into anything. Just for a day for a day he'd like to pass off a shrug and a smirk as answers. Just for a day, he'd like to be looked at and not looked through. Its funny, because Sheldon knows that in the long run, he's probably better off than a guy like Derek, at least that's what his mom always says. He knows that he is probably smarter, more motivated and more likely to succeed-but it doesn't change the fact that some days he'd give anything to be Derek. Maybe, its just because he sees the way Emily still looks at him, and he thinks that maybe, if he could just be that way for a day, she'd love him more. Maybe, if he could just learn to strut, or smirk, or be that kind of charming, maybe then she'd never leave him.

Sheldon's not sure when or why he fell quite so hard for Emily, but she's all he thinks about these days, and every time she looks at Derek, it breaks him a little. He trusts her, he does, and he knows she wouldn't cheat, but it doesn't stop the thoughts. It doesn't stop him from thinking that if he could be a little more like Derek, if he could make her look at him like that, just once, then they'd be together forever. That if he was more like Derek then he'd never have to worry that she was unhappy, or that he didn't deserve her, or that one day she'd look at him and realize that for all their talks and moments and kisses and touches he was still just Sheldon.

**Emily**

Emily still keeps a notebook. She still devotes more time to Derek than anyone else, but its different these days. Her notes used to say things like, "_Derek smiled at me in biology today, he was wearing an orange polo shirt._" That was before Sheldon, and before she made her discovery. They happened about the same time, falling for Sheldon and discovering Derek's secret. In retrospect she probably should have seen both of them coming, but she didn't- at all. Sheldon had been simpler, she'd been in English one day, and he'd tossed her note as he went to the blackboard, "_Your hair is shining today- I can't stop staring at it_." It was simple and random, and the kind of thing Sheldon did ALL the time, but that day, it almost overwhelmed her, because reading it, all she could think was that she loved him. She loved him, she loved his random notes about her hair, she loved his songs, she loved his awkward statements and his corny jokes. It had shaken her up and she hadn't been able to focus the rest of the day.

Derek was more complicated, or at least he took more thought, she'd been at the Mcdonald-Venturi's, watching movies with Casey. Derek had come down the stairs, and he and Casey had started fighting, something Emily had heard them do about a million times. This one felt different though, at least to her. This time she noticed the way they leaned into each other, the way they touched each other to make points, the way it sounded more like playful flirty banter than an actual fight, the way they said these things that proved they knew each other-that they got each other. It took Emily a minute to figure out what it all meant, and when she did, it shook her up all over again. So now her notes say things like, "_I caught Derek staring at Casey in history today. He just gazed her for fifteen minutes, with a dopey smile on his face._" and she wonders how she didn't see it a long time ago.

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	2. Kendra and Sam: No competition

**Authors Note:** You guys make me so happy- you really do. Thank you for all the amazing reviews to the last chapter. As usual I'm overwhelmed. Thank you. :-)

So I realized that these first two chapters are themed, Sheldon and Emily- obviously and then Kendra and Sam- ex's. Not every chapter's grouping is quite that obvious though. In fact I think once or twice it might be totally random. Sorry/

Sam and Kendra ran away from me a little here. Kendra is borrowing some shades of Paige Michelchuck- I admit it, but hey if LwD can do it(Ralph/Spinner anyone?) I can do it too. As for Sam? I used to hate Sam, and now I love him, so when I watched the first season over again recently, I kind of injected some of his third season personality into his actions, and this is the result of some of that.

Episode references to- "Misadventures in Babysitting"

and "Babe Raider"- We all remember how Sam talks about all those sisters he has right? How he knows all this 'feminist junk' and how he can't play babe raider at his house, because of his never-mentioned again sisters right? Ok. Good- cause that's important.

**Disclaimer:** Every time a girl or boy wonders if a fanfic writer real owns the show's they write for, a fanfic writer somewhere falls down dead... Clap if you believe?? Ok.. not really. Not mine. Blah blah blah.

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**Kendra**

Kendra can count on one hand the number of lies she has told in her entire life. It's not that lying compromises her morals, or makes her feel guilty, it's that it always seems to complicate things, and Kendra hates complications. She likes things to be simple, and remembering what she said to who and when? That has just always seemed like way too much work to her. There are times of course, when it can't be helped, but even then, Kendra has always been blunt, so she avoids a lot of those 'social grace' type lies too. Only when it is absolutely necessary will Kendra tell a lie, and she always hates to do it. Fortunately in the past, the things she'd lied about had gone away almost immediatly afterwards so she'd never had to think about them again. Her latest lie however, is everywhere. She can't seem to get away from it. It is ridiculously frustrating.

_"I know why we broke up. I mean you are so not a relationship guy, and I am so not a relationship girl."_

She could have been a relationship girl, for Derek Venturi. She could have thrown every rule she had out the window for him, and she almost did- until she saw it. Until she saw that look that comes into his eyes and lights up his whole face when Casey comes into the room. Kendra hates competition even more than she hates complication, and she knows she is no competition for that-_thing_- Derek and Casey having going on. It's that thing that breaks her heart a little every time she sees him smile at Casey- a smile she could never hope to bring out. It's that thing that thing that makes his words and quips lightening fast when it comes to Casey almost like he's responding instinctively. It's that thing that almost transforms him, that some how makes him _more_ Derek when Casey is in the room and Kendra knows, that gorgeous and talented and smart as she may be, she's no match for that.

So she really does know why they'd broken up-it was just that she couldn't tell him what she'd figured out, what she knew, so she had to lie him. Really though, she doesn't think she can be blamed. Anyone would have lied in her place- how exactly is a girl supposed to tell her boyfriend she knows he's completely in love with his stepsister? She just wishes they'd get it over with already, because every time she sees them fight or whisper or flirt or whatever in the halls, she wonders if she shouldn't have tried to tell him. Every day that goes by with out them acting on their obvious feelings just reminds Kendra of not only her lie, but of just how crazy about Derek she really was, and it hurts a little. The least they could do, she thinks, is appreciate her efforts to be a bigger person, and just jump each other already.

**Sam**

Sam caught Derek making out with his older sister- Rachel- once, almost two years ago now. Well maybe caught isn't quite the right word because when he opened the door and saw them joined at the lips and other places he prefers not to think about he'd just rolled his eyes and quietly shut the door again. He's never told Derek he saw them and he doesn't plan on it. He can hear the fight in his head now- not the fight him and Derek would have- the fight that this news would cause between Derek and Casey. He's sure it would involve words like, 'selfish' and 'hypocrite' and as much as part of him would enjoy watching Derek squirm, he knows it would be a bad idea in the long run.

Sam's not an instigator, he knows a lot, and he sees a lot, but he doesn't say much. It's probably the influence of all those sisters, and years of being Derek's shadow, but Sam doesn't speak up very often. He's an excellent secret keeper- he'd rather be the only one to know things than to start a fight. Plus, if Sam really wanted to stir up trouble and expose a secret? He'd skip right past the whole,

_"Derek I know your whole male code was bullshit to cover your for jealousy. I mean come on. You made out with _my_ sister dude."_ Thing, in favor of:

_"Derek- Casey is in love with you."_ Because really, Derek already knows he's full of crap, but Sam is pretty sure Derek doesn't know how Casey feels about him. Sam on the other hand, is painfully aware of how Casey feels about Derek, and honestly, it really bothered him for awhile. In those first few weeks after they broke up thinking about Casey and Derek together left had him with a bitter taste in his mouth. It was just getting a little old, Derek and his swagger and his smirk and his charm, was going to win the girl yet again. What Derek wants, Derek gets- always the same old story. Except that it isn't the same old story at all, because the more Sam watches the two of them, the less bitter and angry he gets and the more sure he that he never stood a chance. Yeah, he and Casey had fun, but Derek makes her seem more alive and more vibrant, she glows when he's around. Sometimes its almost as though when Derek is in the room even Casey's breathing is more meaningful- and Sam can't compete with that. He's not even sure he wants to. Derek and Casey seem destined to be one of those epic couples, and Sam has no desire to play the villain in their star-crossed love story. Besides, he's pretty sure that if he keeps quiet now, if he bites his tongue at 'male codes' and, 'I can't believe you dated hers' and 'Casey is so irritating' tirades, then one day soon, Derek will have to come to him looking all sheepish and guilty. That will be the day Derek has to admit that he and Casey are together and that they've been in love all this time, and he'll have to say that he's '_really sorry dude_' and Sam will get to smile and say, "_I know_."

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Either Ralph and Tinker, or Max and Noel next. I haven't decided yet.

Oh, and before anyone asks- No not everyone is going to see/ship/approve of Derek/Casey. Where's the fun in that? The fact that the first four see Dasey is just how it all lined up- there are anti-Dasey introspectives to come.


	3. Max and Noel: Hate and Love

**Author's Note:** Once again, thank you all for the amazing reviews for the last chapter. I love this fandom.

This is the Max and Noel chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but shrug I always hate them all.

Sheldon and Emily show back up in this part, I wasn't planning on having them come back till a little later, but they got inside my head and made me include them. I swear they did.

**Disclaimer:** As of 12 noon today when my mail came, I still don't have the papers for "Life With Derek."

I own nothing.

**Max**

If Max overhears one more girl giggle about Derek Venturi, he might just loose his mind. Max has always hated guys like that. Those guys who walk down the hall like they own it, guys with a comeback for everything, guys who seem to always get the last laugh, Max hates them all. He especially hates Derek Venturi. Derek is this cocky, arrogant, self-assured little shit, and some days? All Max wants to do is kick the crap out of him, anything to wipe that damn smirk off his face. Derek who has a band, and Derek who gets named school prefect, and Derek who is a 'hockey god' and Derek who all the girls think is, 'so hot,' and Derek who can talk his way out of anything, and Max hates him so very much.

He used to think that Casey hated Derek just as much as he did. He used to think that Casey was the one girl who he would never catch looking longingly at Derek, or giggling about him, or reminiscing to that one time he flirted with her in math. She had a 'no Derek talk rule' for Christ's sake. Casey hated him too, and Max enjoyed that. The problem is, that lately, Max thinks that maybe Casey hates Derek for entirely different reasons than he does. He is starting to see, that one thing Casey hates most about Derek? Might just be that she doesn't really hate him at all. Which is sick and wrong and just gross because he's her step-brother, but it doesn't seem to matter.

_"I thought you were different Max, but you're just a cheater! Just like Derek_." She'd said to him during a fight, and that had shaken him up. What girl compares her boyfriend to her step-brother/arch nemesis? His girlfriend, Casey McDonald does, because apparently Derek's appeal has no boundaries. Casey does gaze longingly at him, when she thinks no one is looking, and she does tell stories about him, stories that manage to come off even more love-struck than, _'Like, Oh my God, one time in math Derek said we should get together sometime_'. She might not giggle about him, but all her ranting and raving and the way she draws out his name- it's way worse than giggling. Derek Venturi wins again- and the sick thing is? Max is pretty sure that if Casey and Derek ever did get together, the student body wouldn't even shun them. They'd probably think it was '_so cool_' that Derek was '_defying convention_' or some crap like that, and it would only add to his appeal. Derek Venturi could probably make sleeping with your stepsister trendy. God, Max hates him.

**Noel**

The first three things Noel noticed about Casey McDonald, were her eyes, her voice, and the fact that she talked about her stepbrother incessantly. It had taken Noel about thirty seconds to learn about Derek, and a few days to learn about Max, Casey's boyfriend. At first, he had thought that was weird, so he asked around. He'd found Emily Davis, Casey's best friend in the cafeteria,

"_Oh, she always does that_," Emily had said laughing and rolling her eyes from her spot on Sheldon Schelpper's lap, "_its just the way Derek and Casey are_." Sheldon had looked like he was about to speak up, but Emily had placed a quieting hand across his mouth, "_Don't worry about it_." Emily had finished. Then she'd giggled and whipered something to Sheldon, who'd nodded sagely, and Noel had walked away shaking his in confusion.

Talking to Emily had been really unhelpful, but Noel had decided to let it go because Casey McDonald? She is smart and talented and opinionated and fiery and beautiful, and nothing else really matters to Noel. He can overlook what seems to be a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Derek. They way he looks at it, everyone has issues, and if adjusting to her blended family is one of Casey's? He can deal with that. Besides, as far as he's concerned, it's her only flaw. Casey had called him on his crap, and Casey hadn't let him quit, and Casey had taught him to dance, and by dress rehearsal he was in love with her. He can't help himself from wanting to talk to her or at least about her all the time. She's amazing, and as far as Noel can tell, her boyfriend, Max, doesn't even see it. He's not really sure what a girl like Casey is doing with a guy like Max. Max is just this stereotypical- jock high school dream guy- and Casey is so much deeper than that. Noel can't figure out what she's trying to accomplish by dating him. Sometimes, Noel forgets Max is even an issue, because Casey never talks about him. She talks about her day, and Noel's day, and theater, and Derek, and classes and weekend plans, and Derek some more, but rarely Max. So Noel likes to think he has a chance. After all she seems to like talking to him, and they clearly have some chemistry, and he can sing, and he appreciates just how great she is- what else could she possibly want?


	4. Ralph and Marti: Imagination

**Author's note:** Orginally, Ralph's part was paired with Tinker's, but then I was thinking about Marti, and I decided to put their sections together, because they're both really playful. Once again, neither chapter turned out the way they were in my head, but I swear the LWD kids have their own voices, they're very demanding. Ralph for example, ended up talking about Sam more than I thought he would. Marti was always going to see things through Daphne(Marti's imgainary friend mentioned in several episodes-which, in case any one is confused by that part- it's really Marti that is seeing/hearing all the things she'll mention, but being a little girl and being well- Marti, I thought it would be fun to have her claim it was Daphne who saw it all. Plus- there is this early podcast where Mike and Ash talk about Ariel having a little 'imaginary word' she retreats to- so that inspired this too), but Daphne ended up seeing things I wasn't planning on. Hmm.

Anyway- thank you all again for the reviews so far. hugs everyone I have so much love for this fandom.

**Warnings:** No swearing, but this chapter has more implied naughtiness than the other ones(which is weird considering half of it is Marti.. but whatever).

**Disclaimer: **I put it on my Christmas list, but as of now, LWD is not mine.

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**Ralph**

D-Rock is probably Ralph's favorite thing in the world. Well ok, maybe food is his favorite thing, but D-Rock is a close second. His drums are awesome, and he gets to spend more time with Derek and Sam, plus those monogrammed drum gloves? Those are seriously the best thing he's ever bought himself. Really, it's amazing how many things they're good for, like not only are they awesome for playing, but when he holds like, hot chocolate, or fresh pizza he doesn't even have to worry about burning his hands. The gloves protect him. Derek laughs at him, but whatever, it works. Derek's been all weird lately anyway. He broke up with Kendra who was seriously hot, but he's not back to his old ways. It's weird, cause dude is a legend, but he's loosing it. Ralph thinks it might be because of that Casey chick that lives with Derek now. It's not like Derek to get all weird over some girl though, no matter how hot. And Casey really is hot, she's like, 'good girl who could go naughty hot', like 'please help me out of my vinyl pants' hot- and the old Derek just would have jumped her.

Ralph can't figure it out. Yeah he guesses they're step-siblings or whatever, but seriously? That just sounds convenient to Ralph. The person you're hooking up with in the room next to yours? That's awesome. It's like, unlimited fun time. Plus, if you needed a break or energy or something, you could just go down to the kitchen for a snack-easy- and that fridge always has great stuff in it. One time, Ralph found this awesome pasta sauce in the back and then there were these bread sticks, so he was like drumming them and dipping them and it was pretty killer, until Derek and Sam got all mad. Derek told him to 'focus' and Sam muttered something about needing new friends.

Sam is weird too though, like sometimes he just watches Derek and Casey together, and he kinda rolls his eyes and sighs. Sam sighs a lot and Ralph has tried to tell him that real rockers don't sigh, but that just makes Sam sigh harder and roll his eyes more and put his head down, like he's in deep thought. Which is something else he does way too much of, thinking. He gets all stressed about school and the band and Derek, and he should really just chill. Sometimes Ralph has to literally shake him out of it and make him go get hot dogs or something. It works out though, cause Sam is always like making him study, and Ralph is always making Sam have some fun. A little geometry, a little pizza, a lot of rocking out- and with any luck he'll pass the 11th grade and Sam won't develop an ulcer before his 18th birthday. Ralph's not actually sure what an ulcer is, but it always sounds bad and Sam seems convinced that Derek is going to give him one- so Ralph figures he should prevent it. Sam is the smart one, Ralph can't let him get sick cause really, Derek is going to like explode one of these days from all his pent up Casey lust which would leave Ralph all alone, and that would suck. D-Rock would just be like, the Ralph show, and even with his drum gloves and his leatherish pants on he's no Sheldon Shlepper- Ralph needs Sam and Derek. He's seriously considering like, locking Derek and Casey in a closet, and somehow turning sprinklers on them so they're wet and trapped together, and then dragging Sam on a road trip with him over the weekend. Casey and Derek can come out when he and Sam get home. He figures that will solve everyone's problems, although, sadly he's pretty sure Sam won't let him put a camera in Derek and Casey's closet before they leave. But whatever- it will be epic anyway. One day they'll be able to talk about it on like, Behind The Music, like, '_how Ralph saved D-Rock_' and, man, it will be SO rock and roll.

**Marti**

The best thing about Marti's friend Daphne, is definitely that she knows everything. She finds out everyone's secrets and then she whispers them to Marti, so then Marti knows everything too. Daphne is very quiet and small and sneaky which makes it easy for her to learn things. It's a really good thing Daphne learns so much, because otherwise Marti would never know anything. Everyone thinks that just cause she is the baby she doesn't need to know what is going on. It's so stupid because she's seven now, and she needs to know things. So it she's really glad she has Daphne to learn everybody's secrets for her. Marti can't talk to anyone else about the secrets and she doesn't know what some of it means, so she just has to sit and think and think. She guesses she could maybe tell Dimi, he wouldn't tell anyone, but he's a boy, so Marti doesn't think he'd be much help. Boys never are.

Sometimes Daphne learns things with big words in them that Marti doesn't understand, like 'mortgage' or 'migraine' or 'litigation', usually from listening to her Daddy and Nora talk, and those things are kinda boring anyway. Daphne still likes to listen to them though and it's a good thing, cause sometimes her Daddy and Nora use fun words like, "cupcake" or "vacation" or even "birthday." Which is how Marti found out what she was getting a bike last year, which made her happy, even though what she'd really, really wanted was a pony.

Daphne even finds out about things that don't happen in Marti's house, like Daphne knows that Emily and her boyfriend had an anniversary and that they said they loved each other, and that then they were all giggly and kissy noises and bouncing sounds and whispers, but quiet too. Marti and Dimi were playing down the hall in Dimi's room. They weren't paying attention, but Daphne was. Daphne is always paying attention, like when Marti is just skipping down the hall, Daphne is peeking in Lizzie's room and watching her reading a note that must be from a boy because her cheeks are turning all red. Sometimes Marti isn't sure why what Daphne sees is important, she just knows it must be, like that whole week when all the songs from Edwin's room sounded mad, or like most of the things that Derek and Casey do. Derek and Casey are a favorite subject of Daphne's, probably because of that one time she saw them kissing. Marti was using the bathroom when Daphne saw them, they were coming home very late and they were laughing and then they were kissing- kissing for a long, long time and then all the sudden they were saying bad words and going to their rooms and slamming doors. That always makes Marti giggle thinking about her Smerek kissing Casey, but Casey is pretty, and Derek is fun so she thinks they could love each and it would be ok. They don't though, not yet she doesn't think, because Daphne said that the rest of that week they were extra weird and fighting more. Daphne even heard Casey crying, and Derek playing music that was even angrier than Edwin's. Marti thinks that's silly, because she kissed Dimi once when they were married, and it didn't make her angry or want to cry, but she guesses maybe that's why Lizzie and Edwin say teenagers are weird. What is even weirder though is that now Derek and Casey are acting like their normal selves again, and Daphne hasn't seen them do any more kissing, so Marti doesn't know what happened. Now Daphne mostly just sees regular things like Derek hiding Casey's stuff or Casey yelling at Derek for homework. Except, that sometimes now when Derek puts his arm around Casey, her cheeks turn red, and sometimes when Casey yells at him, he just smiles at her. Which has to be important, Marti is sure of it, and Daphne agrees with her. So she and Daphne are just going to have to watch them extra close. They'll find out what is going on soon, because nothing stays secret for long with Daphne around.

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I'm thinking maybe... Vicki and Scott next(bad guys?) We'll see. 


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